People and institutions who are joint owners of limited companies.
Shareholders:
Own the company by holding shares in it. In a private company they may also be the directors. In a public company they can include members of the public who have bought shares through a market such as the stock exchange.
Own stakes in Limited Companies. Shares can be purchased on the open market if it is a quoted PLC. They can vote on how a company is run and they earn a share of the profits as a dividend.
The owners of a limited company or corporation.
Shareholders, often called stockholders, are the owners of a corporation. Shareholders are the people or entities that legally own the stock certificates for a corporation. When a business incorporates, it files a corporate charter with the state government. The charter sets up all of the rules, bylaws, and stock information for the new company.